During certain surgical procedures, such as a biopsy of an organ, a wound void is created by excised tissue taken as part of the operation. In these operations, it is preferred or necessary that a biopolymeric implant be placed in the void to facilitate healing. In other medical procedures, a biopolymeric material is placed on or near the external surface of a body fluid vessel, such as injecting at the bladder neck a collagen paste-like material to cause coaptation of the bladder neck tissue so as to improve continence.